《神农本草经》与经方应用之麻黄篇OA

Mahuang(Ephedrae Herba)is one of the commonly used medicinal herbs in classic formulas.Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica describes its efficacy as"treating wind stroke,cold damage,headache and malaria,relieving warm malaria by inducing sweating,eliminating pathogenic heat,relieving cough and adverse rising of qi,expelling cold-heat pathogen,resolving abdominal lump and accumulation".Based on the efficacy of Mahuang recorded in Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica,Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases developed concise and refined classical formulas through herbal compatibility,which still exert profound influence up to now.For example,in treating"wind stroke,cold damage and headache",Mahuang is mostly combined with Guizhi(Cinnamomi Ramulus),Kuxingren(Armeniacae Semen Amarum),Gegen(Puerariae Lobatae Radix)and Shigao(Gyp-sum),with representative formulas such as Mahuang Decoction(麻黄汤),Gegen Decoction(葛根汤)and Daqinglong Decoction(大青龙汤);in relieving"warm malaria by inducing sweating and eliminating pathogenic heat",it is mostly combined with Guizhi,Shaoyao(Paeoniae Radix)and Shigao,with Guizhi Er Yuebi Yi Decoction(桂枝二越婢一汤)as the representative formula;in relieving"cough and adverse rising of qi and expelling cold-heat pathogen",it is mostly combined with Shegan(Belamcandae Rhizoma),Shigao,Banxia(Pinelliae Rhizoma),Xixin(Asari Radix et Rhizoma)and Wuweizi(Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus),with representative formulas including Xiaoqinglong Jia Shigao Decoction(小青龙加石膏汤),Shegan Mahuang Decoction(射干麻黄汤),Yuebi Jia Banxia Decoction(越婢加半夏汤)and Mahuang Xingren Gancao Shigao Decoction(麻黄杏仁甘草石膏汤);in"resolving abdominal lump and accumulation",it is mostly combined with Guizhi,Fuzi(Aconiti Radix Lateralis Preparata)and Shaoyao,with representative formulas like Guizhi Shaoyao Zhimu Decoction(桂枝芍药知母汤)and Wutou Decoction(乌头汤).While inheriting the efficacy of Mahuang from Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica,ZHANG Zhongjing also made developments and innovations,such as adding the effect of inducing diuresis to alleviate edema.When applying Mahuang,one should refer to both Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica and Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases.